Clothes-rack.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

Suva 1 :02:

J. E. MORRI3.

CLOTHES RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 2, 190B I lllllllllllYallllllll lllllllllllllllllll lllllu J. EEE= ;EE E

21171 E Morris NcRRls PEYERs co, wnsnuvamlv, 0.1.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. MORRIS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CLOTHES-RACK.

Application filed March 2, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of clothes racks of that class which are adapted to be supported from a wall and which are provided with folding or collapsible supporting arms.

The objects of my invention are to provide a clothes rack of this character of improved construction and arrangement of parts, to provide improved means for retaining the clothes supporting arms or bars in horizontal position and for permitting the same to be dropped downward when not in use; to provide improved means for retaining the vertically adjustable rack at different heights on the supporting bar and to produce other improvements the details of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1. is a side elevation of my improved rack showing the clothes supporting arms in extended position for use, Fig. 2 is asectional view on line a: a; of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line aa of Fig. 2, and, Fig, 4 is an enlarged section on line y of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the rack supporting bar which is adapted to be secured verticallyin front of the side wall of a room by means of rearwardly and thence upwardly extending attaching brackets 2 which are connected with the upper and lower ends of the vertical bar 1. In constructing the framework of the rack body, I employ a casting which comprises a vertical sleeve 3, the central opening of which is of slightly greater width measured from front to rear than the depth or thickness of the bar 1 on which said sleeve is slidably mounted. From each of the forward corners of the sleeve and from the center of the forward side thereof, extend radially integrally formed horizontal arms 4, the outer ends of which are joined by a curved rod 5 which forms a segment of a circle. An inner curved rod 6 also connects said arms 4 at a point between the rod 5 and the sleeve 3. In order to insure the holding of the sleeve at a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Serial No. 418,686.

Fig. 3 of the drawing, with two inwardly pro-.

jecting lugs or bosses which are indicated at 7 and 8, these lugs being, as shown, formed re-' spectively in the upper and rear portion of the sleeve wall and in the lower and forward portion thereof. At the back of the sleeve, I secure the upper end of a downwardly extending and forwardly bent spring strip 9, said forwardly bent portion adapted, as shown, to exert a desirable spring pressure on the rear of the face of the bar 1. l

10 represent the clothes supporting rack bars or arms, each of which has its inner end portion provided on its upper side with a rack frame engaging or keeper plate 11. This keeper plate at its outer end is provided with an upwardly extending and thence downwardly curved hook member 11 a which is adapted to engage the upper side of the outer curved rack frame rod 5,.while the rear or inner portion of the plate 11 is shaped to form an oblong keeper 11 which extends in the direction of the length of the bar 10. Through this keeper asses loosely the curved frame rod 6, the atter being located,

'asshown, in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in the rear portion of the keeper 11 when the hook 11 is in engagement with the upper side of the rod 5 or when the bar 10 is in a horizontal or extended position. With the underside and'outer end ortion of the central frame arm 4 is suitab ly connected the upper end of a vertically depending handle 12.

In utilizing my invention, it will be understood that the sleeve of the supporting frame is held in engagement with the supporting bar 1 at the desired point through the medium of the diagonally opposed lugs 7 and 8, it being obvious that the weight of the rack frame in front of said bar must result in a slight sagging of the frame which is permitted owing to the size ofthe sleeve opening and a consequent binding of the lugs 7 and 8 against the rear and front sides of the bar 1. This engagement is ordinarily sufficient to hold the rack frame against voluntary sliding movement on the bar, but in order to insure the engagement thus desired, I have provided the spring 9, the pressure, of which against the rear side of the bar 1 below the sleeve, will insure the binding action heretofore described.

It being desired to raise or lower the rack frame, it is obvious that by grasping the with reference to the bar 1 as to overcome the binding action of the lugs 7 and 8 and permit of the upward or downward sliding movement of sald sleeve on said bar.

It will be understood that when the rack bars 10 or any number thereof are not desired for use, they may be readily dropped to a vertical position and into a comparatively compact form by first raising the bars slightly to cause a disengagement of the hooks 11' with the rod 5, then forcing said bars rearward until said hooks are 011 the inner side of said rod 5, resulting in the bars dropping to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

From the construction and operation described, it will be seen that a comparatively simple, inexpensive and yet convenient form of clothes rack is produced which can be utilized for the support and drying of a number of garments within a comparatively small space.

What I claim, is:

In a device of the character described, the combination with a body portion comprising radial arms, and inner and outer curved rods connecting said arms, of clothes supporting bars and a keeper plate mounted u on the upper face of each of said bars, saic keeper plate comprising an elongated loop portion at the rear end thereof, and a hookportion at the front end thereof, said loop portion embracing the inner rod and the hook portions being adapted to hook over the outer rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN. E. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

L. CARL SToUGHToN, A. L. PHELPS. 

